The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-02-10
A FINE CELLAR or WINE

Not long ago vent 10 pay visil 10
very old friend Of my family. the Rev. Nj
chsn,ly Who hsd living in one Of ihos
rsnote. old.worid villages which are scat
tered slcng sbs coast nf Norfolk.
Icrpeetcd the very simplest Of fare II
TIE humble house OF tmy friend, and IN,
expectations. so far ~ fish fowl and hcsl
we're co1osgIea. were realized But wber
I had tasted glsss Of por vas % strucl
with the extraordinary hseness Of IL,
favor. its body. and its boqne. that
VAS obliged 10 ask him s.raighly where
he msoaged to pick up such a treasure
ia these dsys Of adulterstion and high
4 prices =
N I'Ilteli you to-norrow. he said; after
you have Waited my church.
The association Of splendid port wine
with M obscure Norfolk church seemed
10 me little remote. but knew from the
old gentIemsn's manner that be bad story
to tell. so / said 10 more.
A Accordingly the next morning ! sccom-
/ | pasted Div ~ th@ shurch. II -as one of
those spacious. imposing edidces so fire.
| quently TO be seen in the eastern conn
tries, built almost upon the verge OF the
sea. My host showed me very old tomb
with battered canopy aud some half-ef-
faced escutcheons and much delicate ira
Gerry.
Tomb OF the first lord OF the manor, ex-
planned my cicerone. Name unknown.
date unknown, but popularly called "Sir
Dicks slab" There are lots OF similar
tombs about here As about everywhere.
But you don't see anything extraordinary
about the tomb itsolf2 No? Well, I'm not
surprised at it. But look herel
SO saying he placed his thumb on the
top of the helmet surrounding the defaced
coat Of arms. and Immediately the whole
OF the front OF the tomb under the slab be. |
gan TO sink below the pavement. at the
same time disclosing a dark vault. up
which came that damp, earthly smell pe-
culiar TO crypts and chsrnelhouses. Then,
STOPPING down and pressing the little
stone helmet again, he caused the stone to
ascend TO its normal position.
Of course my curiosity was intensified,
and ! wanted to hear the story at once.
But the old gentleman said:
No. although it's not long yarn, it
cant very well be told as we are standing
here; 30 we'll have it over another sip of
the famous port he began:
I've been here nearly so years, and when
was first appointed there wasn't hotter
place in sll England for smuggling -ex-
cept, perhaps. Cornwall or Scotland or
Romney marsh. !,
never saw my predecessor, for the very
good reason that the living had been VA
cant for ten years previously for II asons |
which you shall hear presently. My sur
prise, therefore. may be imagined when. t
n the course Of my inspection OF the prem u
ses. came upon cellar filled with all G
'orts Of vine and spirits. How it was s
hat these had remained undiscovered aud q
Untouched during the 10 years iute, val n
ince the departure Of my predecessor / h
ould not fnd out. until l took into my el
ervices as gardner an old fellow who told I'll
ne what follows:
The last rector, the Rev Mr. Allport, was Ell
ppointed here in 1912. Not many days &C
fter his arrival be came into the church FIR
or some purpose or other, and. discover th
'g curious old register in the vestry. be
'ok it into the parsonage pew, stands ex- no
'tly opposite Sir Dicks slab, to examine. re
yer the volume he fell asleep When he ch
Eskened tho church was quite dafk. and, gu
it was midwiuter, very cold. OF coarse sal
jumped up, amazed and not little at
sed at his position, for there was ss me
uch superstition in those days amongst VII
lucated folks as there is now smonest wa
o lower classes He was about to grope sid
8 way out OF the pew, when he was ar he
sted by an extraordinary noise which al,
Is not the sound OF rats nor of the VA
nd, but which seemed to be supp resse d be
under.
Suddenly he saw q faint ray OF light his
lere be knew was Sir Dicks slab. Ne,
lighter and broader it grew. and then, con
ich to bis relief. but still more to his wou
ahuman head appeared in en-
% the tomb, followed by the remainder I
> very big and burly human body. mig
ich was succeeded by more heads and fold
lies, until group Of half-a- dozen men dut
cd on the pavement Of tie aisle. lag.
'mugglers Of course they we're. and now por
poor parson was seized by a dead. wisI
e st. Edwards smugglers were motor thei
8 IS desperate crew. Many OF them the
been pressed for the French war, had The
sped. and as there was q price on their beh
IDS, and their hands against every .
n's, they regarded desperate crimes as said
essary incidents oi their calling. rest
hey were evidently in high spirits. aud o
pped their brows a. they sat. some on aska
tomb itself, some on the wooden seat psrs
= passing around big leather jacket "
iquor. talking in An almost inco,opre- OI
sible dialect. and even going so far As feig'
igbt their pipes. The Rev. Mr.. All -yc
was no coward when dealing with or tt
Ary humanity. and. as be crouched in little
pew, peeripg at the weird group hspI
nigh Al opening in the curtains, he re ly al
ed In bis mind what bis next move me q
nld be II
notion struck him suddenly. The and
ry was within few yards Of bin. and bear
ould get TO il by door at the other leng'
Of the peu. Silently aud cautiously Nj
,roped his way along. and IN few You
ates reappeared With white surpiice. marr
Ineing II 10 that his face was complste- here,